A Love Letter to Everything Else
by Theinsteinium
Summary: You know your day's going to be horrible when the author of your story sends you on a quest to save the multiverse. Has no preset genres. Will go off the rails into the bushes at inopportune times. Heavily inspired by TV Tropes, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Andrew Hussie's Homestuck and AuraChannelerChris' The Subspace Emissary's Worlds Conquest. Rated T for bad words and violence.
1. Dear Everything Else

Hello.

This is my story.

If you haven't been tipped off by the title of the story you are reading, this is A Love Letter to Everything Else.

Strange, I know, but it's true.

This is a thank you note, a love letter to the rest of media, to all of reality.

It is my own personal way of saying 'Thank you' to the creators, writers, directors, developers, etc, who made and crafted fantasies, stories, universes.

It is my way of saying - "Don't worry. You are not forgotten. You'll always be there, in our hearts, minds and imaginations. As long as we exist, your creation will never fade. You shall be remembered throughout generations."

So, greetings to all movies, animations, TV shows, comics, books, games and plays.

I salute you for what you have done and wish that you continue on your path forever more.

Greetings to the internet - shippers, fanfictions, blogs, fan videos, webcomics, fanartists, fan theories, wikis, fandoms in general.

May the stars forever light your path and bring hope to those that come to pass.

Hello to those in real life, who are perhaps working on your stories already.

This is a tribute to you.

This is my tribute to all stories, whether they have just begun, just ended, been going on for a long time or ended ages ago.

This is my tribute to creation, to tales told and untold, to universes and dreams throughout the multiverses.

This is my love letter to an omniverse of possibilities.

To those who are reading, I have a few words to you.

I don't know how it's going to turn out.

It's going to be big.

It's going to be weird, and strange, and telling a cohesive story the only way I know how.

It might not make sense at times, I'm sure of that.

You might not even like the goddamn story.

But I promise you, I'm going to do the best I can.

Are you ready?

 **Yes No**

Enjoy.

The curtains fall.

I walk off stage right.

And somewhere, deep within the Fabric of Narrative, a story begins its long and twisted path.

 **New Game!**

 **Save Files - 1**

 **Would you like to begin?**

❤ **Yes** **No**

 **Let the games begin!**


	2. 917

**Act 1: Impossible.**

 **Begin.**

 **Game Paused**

 **Continue?**

 **Introduction**

❤ **Yes** **No**

You know your day's going to be just fine when you wake up and things just aren't the way they're supposed to be.

For example, that chair is way too far to the right, the alarm isn't beeping annoyingly as usual and the room isn't meant to be painted blue. And someone you don't know is spinning in the chair you bought yesterday that is way too far to the right, which is why it is way too far to the right, if it wasn't obvious.

I'm the guy spinning in the chair, by the way. The main character's David, and he's the one staring at me from his bed.

I stopped spinning in the chair and turned to the university student staring at me in shock. Giving him the best grin I could muster, I said hello.

"Hi!"

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing here?!"

"Well, I'm spinning in your chair of course! What does it look like to you?"

I spun around once more for good measure, while David reached for his phone on the bedside table to dial emergency services. It sparked and fell to the floor, where it inexplicably caught fire. I jumped out of the chair and quickly stamped it out.

"Are you trying to call the cops on me? What are you doing?"

I dodged left to avoid what was supposed to be a blow to the face.

"Hey! Woah, calm down!"

"Calm down? You're the one who broke in to my home!"

"Ok, I'll accept that for its intended meaning, but I haven't broken anything! Well apart from the phone. And maybe the chair. I _teleported_."

He stared at me for a moment more, like I couldn't get any more insane, before aiming a kick to the shin. I dodged it, and he soon followed up with another punch.

"Yes, because that excuse is much better, and much more believable!"

I sighed, moving back to leave some space for movement.

And teleported the length of the room and back.

David's jaw dropped in shock, and I reached over to close it.

"Look, I know we got off to a rather bad start, but, you know, I'd rather like to stop fighting."

"How-what-wait-wha-how?"

He rubbed his temples in confusion.

"To teleport, you'd need to chart out each particle in your body, frozen in an exact moment in time without discrepancies, work out literal universal coordinates reaching up to 11 dimensions and then be able to actually transport the entire thing instantaneously across a questionable distance - how are you even doing this?"

I shrugged helplessly. David snorted in obvious annoyance.

"Great, teleporting guy appears in my room and doesn't even know how. The person writing my story must be having a hell of a time, the bastard."

I winced.

"Not nice for someone you've known for all of 3 minutes, but definitely accurate, I'll give you that."

He opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated.

"Sorry, did you just - what the - who are you?

Good grief. Now we're getting somewhere.

I put on that grin that tries to reassure people but generally doesn't work.

"Hi! I'm the Author."

David opened his mouth like he wanted to speak, to object, and quickly decided what he was going to say wasn't going to help. So he closed it. And opened it again.

"You're who exactly?"

"I'm the Author, the extradimensional entity who created the multiverse, Writer of Realities, Creator of Creators, Master of the material and immaterial planes, blah blah blah blah blah. And you are taking this way too calmly."

"Normal people would be freaking out, but after what you've done, I don't feel quite so impressed. What, so you're God?"

"I don't really like being called God. Makes me a tad uncomfortable."

I shivered, as if to emphasise my point.

"...Proof?"

I snapped my fingers and a dome erected itself around us in a small radius. It displayed a sky full of stars and a chorus of angels singing so beautifully it would make gods weep, while worlds and universes sprang into existence behind them, with the whole entire Fabric of Narrative shining brightly and the stars and realities warmed to the core, where a Destroyer entity screamed in pain, and a turtle swam the depths of the black sea, and someone, something, proffered their hand and gestured onwards into a giant spinning ball of energy, as the song broke off into one final chord, and one last instrument mourning the loss of infinity.

David marvelled at the sight. There was no sound.

"This is… this is beautiful."

"Now do you believe me? I could show you the multiverse, if you'd like. I could simulate an entire universe for you if you need more proof."

"No, I'll just say the cliched line. I wouldn't be able to imagine up something like this. With the attention to detail, I don't think anyone could."

I dropped my hands and the dome fell apart. David exhaled and turned to me.

"Why are you here? No cosmic entity comes down to Earth simply to have a chat - they always want something. Most of the time they don't show up at all. What do you want?"

"Quick and short to the point. Can I really not be here other than to say hello?"

"You said it yourself. Extradimensional. Meaning, beyond all dimensions. You didn't need to visit. You could have appeared to me as, like, a holy voice."

"Fine."

I hesitated and breathed heavily.

"I need your help."

A casual wave in the air projected a holographic map of something like a mass of colourful bubbles before us.

"This is the multiverse, the collective realities that you've been living in without any real confirmation that they exist. Here is your proof. There is an infinite multiverse out there, consisting of worlds both alike and far removed from this one. A wondrous place.

"Here's the thing though."

Within the map, bubbles cracked and shattered, the colours beginning to spread out amongst themselves.

"The multiverse, or more precisely, the _barriers between universes_ have been broken."

"Imagine the multiverse, as, well, let's say a human. What has happened is total internal bleeding, and all the cells, or in this case, universes are damaged and oozing. It's not external nor is it too bad yet, but this continues, the multiverse will die. And that's not all."

I waved my hand to zoom in on a particular space between the bubbles.

"The major problem is that there a rather large amount of, let's say, cosmic beings, destroyers, who are determined to, well, destroy the multiverse. And they've all gathered in one place. I need to fix the multiverse, but if they're still together, in the same spot, I can't ever mend it properly, and more importantly, permanently. This is where you come in."

I pointed at him.

"Your job, if you choose to accept it, is to travel the multiverse, find people to fight the forces of destruction, culminating in a battle against these suckers so that I can mend the multiverse and bring things back to normal. You get privileges, powers, virtual immortality, etc. etc, everything that you may need for your job, and then you get really anything you like once you're done. Simple."

David had sat there, drinking in the information, and now he contemplated the offer.

"What's the catch? Something seems off. Something is always off."

"Ah."

It was a very small "ah". One that indicated that things were going to go from bad-

A crunch that sounded suspiciously like a couple of collapsing houses echoed through the open window. Almost simultaneously, an earthquake hit, shattering glass and shaking the apartment building to its core. David crouched to avoid the glass that passed through me.

-to worse.

I stood, with my back against a shattered window, looking at the crouching human with an inactive, possibly pitying look.

"Your apocalypse has begun."

(Play "Dear God" by XTC)

David ran towards the door. He managed three steps before a hand yanked on his collar and dragged him back to his bed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The ongoing armaggeddon behind me faded into background noise. I heard a roar, and some screams.

"Going out there to save someone! To help someone!"

"And what difference do you think that you're going to make? What do you think you're going to do?"

"Something! Anything! I don't know! But how will I know if I don't try?"

"Bloody hell. This is why I chose you, but still. Listen to me. You will not be able to save anyone if you stay. That is an absolute certainty. Come with me and grow, and come back when you're ready."

He turned to me with a glowering suspicion.

"This is too convenient. You show up and you make me an offer I can't refuse. So I'll bite."

He gestured in a general sweep of the area.

"Why me? Everyone in the multiverse, a whole damn infinity of people and you pick me, David Crow, unassuming, small, unnoticeable. You could have picked someone smarter, or stronger or more charismatic and yet you chose me. Why?!"

I sighed, holding my head in one hand.

"Because… because...

"Because, David, some of the strongest on Earth have the intelligence of a banana. Some of the smartest can barely move. Because neither have a proper grasp on reality, and neither is as knowledgeable in stories and myths and legends as you are. Because I need someone who can do many, many things, someone with people skills, someone who can use their intelligence and power to good use, and most importantly, someone who can just keep going forward. Someone who won't give up. I chose you because you are the best available candidate for the narrative at hand."

David looked out the window with the desperation of someone who knows they are trapped and can do nothing about it. I reached out my hand.

"Take it, or don't. I'll find someone else for the job."

He looked into my eyes and knew they meant it. Last chance.

Outside, yelling and explosions blanked out the screams.

"How do I know if you're telling the truth?"

You don't.

He took a long, hard breath.

"Do I have a chance to come back? To actually try after I fail, if you're truly who you say you are?"

I nodded.

"Ok. Let's go."

I smiled.

Reality curled up and spat itself back out. The universe froze suddenly in an instant of time.

Tim frowned, looked at a map, shrugged and walked around in a circle.

When it resumed, a bed and 2 entities were gone from the world, and a chair slowly stopped spinning.

Imagine, if you can, a collection of rainbow bubbles, floating seemingly aimlessly across a light grey space. The sea of bubbles is somehow well lit with a sort of, non-light, perhaps from within, perhaps from an external, invisible source emanating from everywhere at once. The greyness stretches on for eternity, but if you go far enough, or look closely, you'll see hints of black, occasionally, and a greenish-yellow purple colour.

Two figures and a bed stand on an invisible surface that parts the "sea" and the "sky".

I jumped up and clapped my hands together in what seemed like joy.

"This is the Aether, capital A, not that you can hear the difference. It's a level of existence above even that of the universes."

David blanched.

"Wait, so, all those things below us, those drifting bubbles; those are universes? Like, actual, real universes in the multiverse?"

"Sort of, but not really. They're your brain's attempted perception of highly advanced 39th dimensional constructs, so it's not entirely accurate."

"Sure…. So, what are we doing here?"

"You don't get ready to fight a war barehanded. Neither do you go into a battle completely unprepared. I'm here to train you and help you."

I pulled out a file from the inside of my jacket.

"I know you got a black belt in karate, good, won't need to tell you how to hurt or kill if necessary. You know physics, so you know how to applicate force to incite maximum, shall we say, pain, thought sword fighting was cool, as we all do, and tried it. Nearly sliced off a finger. Secretly rather strong? Sort of, I know you've never tried too hard. You've always been scared of dealing permanent damage, because you know you certainly can. Blah, blah, blah."

David looked quite hesitant as I went on highlighting his strengths.

I fell back into a chair that logic dictated shouldn't have been there.

"Wise, intelligent, quick learner, nigh flawless memory, can be very quick if needs be, enjoys a bit of a challenge. In short a normal human being, if above average in most categories, and a nigh eidetic memory. Fun. I'm going to teach you how to fight."

He sighed.

"And how, exactly, may I ask?"

"Only way anyone really does. Hard work, hope, luck and lots of failed attempts. Practise spar?"

After peeling himself from the floor, David got the hang of it. I was a very annoying opponent, and therefore a very good teacher. There were two main ideas he learnt. This was very painful, and he was to avoid the blue attacks at all costs.

"The principles of judo are simple. Use your opponent's' strength against them. If they try to punch you, dodge, sidestep and use their forward momentum to topple them. If you are pushed, use the energy to move faster. Be fluid and move with great agility."

He tried to sweep my legs, but I hopped out of the way and punched him in the face.

"Use a combination of multiple martial arts. Be a combat pragmatist. It's not a contest, and no one will blame you for cheating in a fight. If they do, they've never really fought. If you have to go for the eyes, go for the eyes. If you need to hit the nuts, hit them really hard. Don't forget you have feet as well as hands, and a head too. Do what you have to do to win."

I danced back and avoided all his attempts. Then I reared back, and with a blue fist, punched him straight in the solar plexus.

David flew back a few metres and sat up, wheezing.

"Understand?"

Through tears of pain, he nodded.

"And…what…about...the...blue thing?"

I waved him down.

"I'll teach you Aura tricks later. Can't afford what would happen if you died because you were too reliant on them."

"I'm now going to teach you sword fighting. Very old, excellent art, and of course almost completely useless in this day and age. However!"

I brandished a naked blade in the air like an idiot.

"They are extraordinarily useful in fantasy environments, especially since there aren't any guns. Also, can be used to deflect bullets, excellent for close range, since guns don't rather work in melee, can eviscerate very well, and as a plus, you'll now know how to use most of the weapons in, well, pretty much anywhere."

I gestured to a sword rack that had risen out of the invisible 'ground'.

"Take your pick of any one of these, and it's yours."

He looked over the huge number of swords and lingered over a silvery sword with a gnarled wooden handle.

"Whoops. That one's mine."

I pulled it from the rack as David studied the remaining swords.

"Uh, have you got anything less flashy? Wearing any of these would instantly raise anyone's suspicions."

"Well, if you like, I can make you an entirely new sword. Pick a metal and a design and I'll make it."

"Any metal... and any sword style, right?"

"Within reason. I'm not giving you a zweihander or a 6ft katana made of diamond. I'm choosing the height and weight, thank you very much."  
The look on David's face was almost pure glee.

"Oh, I've been _dreaming_ of this moment. Any metal ever, fictional or otherwise?"

"Yup. Knew I made the right choice with you. Most haven't decided."

"In the stories of old, people spoke of 4 elements - fire, water, earth and air. And then they spoke of the legendary 5th element that ruled over all the rest. Throughout time, the fifth element has gone by many, many names. Aura, spirit, aether, chi, chakra, determination, quintessence, the Force, spiral power, etc, etc. It has many different abilities and purposes, but it's perhaps most commonly known simply as "Magic"."

We were sitting cross legged on the floor.

"So you're trying to tell me magic is a physical force and an actual form of matter?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

He threw his hands into the air.

"Sure. Why not?"

"It's less a force and more a different form of energy with a more definite anthropomorphic personification and much more exact goals as compared to, say, light. It's more readily found on other dimensional planes, but every single living being in the multiverse has it. It is life itself. Only a small amount is needed, which is why there's only ever a tiny bit, but even a drop can be extraordinarily powerful. Levels can be increased simply through sheer determination or another quality. Unless it's awakened, however, it's completely and utterly useless, because it can't be harnessed. If awakened, however…"

I raised my hand and snapped my fingers. Blue flame whipped around in a miniature whirlwind tornado above my hand and lightning crackled within it. And in the centre of the tornado, an octarine star grew, glowed, faded and died.

"... anything is possible. There's a lot of types of magic users, but in any case, magic is the most powerful tool in the multiverse."

I dispersed the whirlwind of fire, rubbing my hands as I did.

"I'm going to awaken you. Give me your palms. And close your eyes."

I took his palms and expelled a tiny bit of magic to awaken his.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. And yet these ashes and this dust is what achieves dreams, escapes realities, allowing us to transcend our fates. We may be dead, but we are not gone. I call you from beyond the limits of the stories themselves. I awaken you, so stand by me, and I shall protect you with every strand that I hold of the web of reality. Unlimited, unbound, immortal and free, I pull you from waters and by my will, wake thee."

As I spoke, the energy flowed through my hands into his. He felt pins and needles in every square inch of his skin, as systems unknown moved and reacted for the first time. Magic flowed through the paths in his body.

He fidgeted.

"Was that really necessary?"

"Yes. You have to do things with a proper flair, you know? Try throwing sparks around, its entertaining."

We stood up, David just looking at his palms as if expecting it to instantly catch fire.

"So I just sort of flick my wrist and hope something happens?"

I fell back onto the bed and picked up the copy of _All-Star Superman_ that wasn't there.

"Optimism and entropy, twin forces that make the Earth go round. Yes, just try and get it flipping working."

"Damnit, doesn't this come with a user's manual?"

I looked up from my reading material.

"Apart from me, no."

"Well then how the hell does it work?

"It's called determination for a reason. Hope that it works, but while still trying really hard."

"Does going on for 3 goddamn hours count as determination enough? Can I get, like a hint or something?"

I swung my legs off the bed and popped up in front of him, rubbing my hands.

"Close your eyes."

He complied.

"We're going to go somewhere.

"It's a starry night. No clouds, no birds, a new moon. You're standing on the shoreline of a beautiful beach, waves slowly lapping onto the shore. A breeze floats across the inky seas into your nostrils. Smell it? Relax. Take a deep breath."

He inhaled long and deeply.

"And breathe out. Listen. Can you hear that?

"There are voices, quiet murmurs on fraying edges of your mind. Hear them? Can you hear the whistling wind, the rage of the storms past the horizon? Can you hear the distant stormy seas? Can you hear the singing of the stars?"

Quiet noises in the background build up into a cacophony. When sound is rare, each tiny noise is a wondrous symphony.

He nodded.

"Ok. That is reality. But it is also imagination. Both are inseparable, two sides of the same coin, like night and day. Together they form and inspire stories. Those stories are told, and retold, and some day, so shall your's. The stars will sing their stories too, but only few dare to listen. Breathe."

In…

"And out. These stories, they were thought to have only a minor role in the course of things. But what they really did was much more important. They were the explanations for the thunder and lightning, the sunrise and the winds. They were creatures and echoes and creations of hope. Can you feel that relaxing feeling? The one that says 'It'll all be fine. We'll protect you till morning.'?"

A brief nod.

"Alright. With hope comes life, and while there is life, determination also resides.

"Once more. Breathe in."

He took another deep breath, filling his lungs with the salty smell of the ocean.

"Breath out. Determination. That feeling that goes hand in hand with hope, for without it, you can do nothing. It's like fire burning through your veins, like pure energy coursing through your systems. It's the one that keeps you moving, pushing you to the bitter end. Feel it?"

Once again, just a brief nod.

"Now, visualise it. The physical embodiment of all of that. The fire that burns but takes no fuel, a feeling that cannot be truly described, an energy hidden to most, and yet it powers everything. Imagine that, codify it, picture it in your mind of minds. With hope, and with determination, release the magic. Surrender it, because you will always make more. Let it go, because it is your's to give. Push it all out.

"And so, just one last question. Open your eyes."

Sparks fluttered across the sandy beach.

But they weren't fireflies.

"Can you see the magic in the air?"

A smile of wonder and joy spread across his face has he reached out and lit his hand aflame.

"That is magic."

"Ready?"

He breathed deeply. In and out.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

I tensed the muscles in my legs…

And jumped.

Sword-fights are one of the best ways to improve footing, impulse, reaction, quick movements, and general balance and fighting skills in a short amount of time. The danger heightens emotion, the fear heightens speed and instinct and the knowledge that someone is about to cleave you in two generally gives you faster reflexes.

And what better way than a master against a student?

I cleaved downwards, and David raised his own sword to block. I pushed more force.

To his credit, David stood without budging. I used the leverage to flip over the sword and attack him from the back.

David chose a bastard sword, what is called a 'hand and a half' sword, able to be used both one handed and two handed.

Feeling a cold chill that told him to turn or die, David only just managed to turn to avoid my downwards slash and back off away from me. I landed and rushed him, noting with some pride how he was able to somewhat keep up with my swings.

A diagonal slice was deflected and followed with a counterattack.

His sword was made of a strange alloy of mithril and dragon steel, which almost glowed in the non-light around us.

With the typical stupidity you use when naming swords, he called it "Phoenix Wrath", despite knowing that he'd very much hate himself soon.

I can't say anything, I named mine "Perfect Dystopia".

I twisted around the surprisingly beautiful blade, playing defensive to see what he would do. He swung upwards and nearly chopped off my face, so I tilted back and spun away.

It's a dance, a deadly dance. You must keep even beat and time. Never break the rhythm, never miss a beat, because even just one little misstep can kill.

I kept myself seemingly open, waiting. David rushed to stab me, so I waited until the last second and dodged. As he went past, I hit him in the small of his back with the hilt. He fell.

"I said I'd be going all the way, and I meant it. Use whatever you can to win. Mix everything that you know together if you have to. Again!"

I placed a nice gun in his hands and gestured to a cardboard cutout about 4 metres away.

"First time, shoot the gun, let's see how you go."

He stood ready, grabbed the pistol with two hands and tried to keep his pistol steady.

"Ok, breathe, look at the target, shoot at it. If you miss, that's ok, just fire the darn gun."

He pulled the trigger and almost fell over.

"Right. Recoil. Maybe here is not the best place to practise. No air."

David charged, our swords clashing. I jumped back and rushed him, aiming for the chest, while he sidestepped and moved away. He sliced up, forcing me back, and pulled his blade down in a powerful slash. I hit his blade head on, pressing in a classic sword interlock. I loosened my push and slip away.

"Never too much force. Not from the opponent, not from you. Don't trip."

He turned and sliced at me with one hand, and I stepped backwards. He came charging like an angry bull. This time, I moved, ramming my elbow into his stomach. David recoiled from the impacted, recovering to jump over my sweeping blade. As he came down, however, he wasn't so lucky.

"What goes up must come down. Equivalent exchange. Remember tha- whoa!"

I bent over backwards and somersaulted away, just in time for the interlock. This time, he let go earlier, which gave me time to jump back out of reach.

"Good. You're learning. Offensive and defensive are both needed, though."

I suddenly sprang at him, sword whirling in a deadly arc of metal. He barely raised his sword in time. The two blades rang and sparks flew with counterattack after counterattack. I raised a hand and punched up and ducked under the incoming blade. He stared, shocked.

"There's the flats of a sword. You're allowed to grab on. No such thing as cheating in a fight."

Almost lazily, I swung my sword up and cut his arm off at the shoulder.

"If you have trouble being sufficiently motivated, think of it like this."

I tossed him back his sword for the hundredth time.

"You die, so does the multiverse. Failure is simply not an option."

I lunged at him, forcing him to step back into a defensive pose.

"If needs be, let yourself be hit. Healing factors can be incredibly useful at times. Deal with the pain. Never give in. Remember, you cannot die. It would be rather distressing for you."

"Shouldn't you- ugh- be telling me to be very-gah!-careful in case the blade is -shiiii-carbonadium or something-fuuuu- that manages to nullify-ahg- the healing factor?"

"Yeah, probably. Look, all I'm telling you to do is to block as much as you can, but make sure you keep with the rhythm of the storm. If not, then death will follow, and let me tell you, she travels fast. Balance everything together, because your life depends on it. Be the best of all possible sides."

"So, how am I exactly going to be hiding this sword?"

"Right. That. Almost forgot."

I cast my hand out into the space around me, and almost as if by magic, a cabinet appeared.

If you had asked David at that moment what it looked like, he would not have been able to answer, but before his eyes, it almost seemed to evolve. Soon, he found that he could answer those questions, even though a second ago, he could not have ever answered.

First, it was wood, then it was more exact, mahogany, then he could see it gain immaculately decorated furnishings, then two silver handles (knobs), a latch and a small lock (combination, 4 digits, made of titanium). It was 6ft tall, 80 cm wide, and a foot by the side. It stood, slightly elevated (5cm) on 4 legs. All of it was carved with the same care and delicacy any antique would get (panels were mainly untouched, flower and vine carvings on the sides and edges on a border 4cm thick, details arbitrary).

I lowered my hands.

"Ugh, that was vaguely messy. Good thing I didn't use that method for anything else. Pass me your sword."

David's face was contorted in confusion. His mouth was open like he wanted to say something, but his brain couldn't quite figure out what.

"That… felt… weird."

"This is what your job entails. The abnormal, the extraordinary, the impossible. You will see much stranger than this before we're done, mate, so you better get used to it. Sword."

He handed it over, point first. I placed it inside the cabinet I had just created and locked it.

"There's lots of powers in the multiverse, but each of them is different, although most have the same source. I work under my own rules, so it isn't magic. This, however, this is magic."

I held my hands out, palms facing the cabinet, and they glowed with an octarine light. I muttered under my breath, prisms and shapes expanding and contracting, and soon the cabinet itself was glowing some faint purple.

"Bind to person, bind to soul, seal to one and one to all. Space below space and world beyond world, I bound this to thee, so let magic unfold."

The light faded. I turned with an almost happy bounce to David.

"Ok, that should do it."

"Do what?"

"Summon magic. That cabinet now functions as a subspace pocket of sorts, except it doesn't need your own energy. And anytime you like, you can summon whatever is in the cabinet. Go on, try it."

"I'm guessing visualisation, concentration and determination."

He extended his hand, palm upwards, and he visualised the blade.

David had good memory. Very good memory. One of the reasons I chose him. So he pictured the sword, his sword, and willed it into his palm.

Quiet flames rolled across his palm, curling and eventually extending into a proper bastard sword. Then they died out, leaving only his sword.

"You'll get used to it as you do it. If I cast the spell correctly, and I did, then the rule is that you can summon anything in there as long as you remember what it looked like. There's no time limit, but it will return to the cabinet if it is further than 30m away from you. And to dismiss-"

David willed it to go away, and it seemed to evaporate into smoke.

"Yeah, that. You're getting good at this stuff."

"All I'm showing you is how to use magic to enhance your strength and a low level of manipulation. You'll have to find out the extent of your powers yourself."

He clenched his fists to form the crimson fire of magic.

"I'm guessing the colour of the flames is unique to the person?"

"Yeah. There's a reason, but it relates to pretty much everything else, so please don't ask."

"Ho-"

"Shh. Shh. Shh. Shh. Shhhhhhh. That flame is an excellent start, but it's rather negligible in a fight. About as subtle as a neon sign. Don't colour-code your attacks, it just makes it more predictable. Predictable is boring. What the aura coating does is allow you to mostly just ignore the rules of physics and hit harder, ignore resistance and cut things a lot easier. Don't try it on electronic objects."

"Let me guess. Magic and Technology don't mix."

"Technology fries itself if it comes into direct contact with magic. Analog objects are fine, but electronics will fry. Handy when you want to destroy things, like your phone. Not so handy when you don't."

He paused like he had just remembered I teleported into his room, and then proceeded to try and use his newfound aura techniques to punch me.

David swung his blade at me, in a move I lazily deflected with my own. He moved slightly left to punch me in the face, which I dodged with minimum effort. I backed off just a bit and raised my sword with a mocking grin. He took a quick slash at me, me countering with my own sword. I used the distraction to sweep his feet from under him and came down on him like a hammer. He rolled, leaving my blade embedded in the ground, and used the momentum to stand up and try to stab me. I jumped, avoiding the stab, and used the force to pull the sword from the ground and up into his own. It flew from his hands, and I followed with a slice across his neck. David ducked underneath the swipe, turned and ran for his sword. I jumped and swung down again, but he skidded, grabbed his sword and hit with his full strength to counter the blow.

Landing, I was immediately assaulted by a flurry of slashes, and was forced to duck and weave through the path the swings would take. I easily maneuvered my way through the storm and slipped away from him. When he stopped, I charged and sliced up. He went for the good old stab.

I moved slightly left, kicked both feet from under him, raised the hilt again-

This time, he saw it coming, twisted midair and fell. With both hands, he swung his blade into my ankle.

The cut registered, and, fast as I was, I couldn't have avoided it.

There was a silence across the Aether.

Then my face broke out into a massive smile, and clapped enthusiastically.

"Good job!"

David crumpled on the ground.

"God, I'm so tired. You are frightening."

I shrugged.

"It's my job, I guess. This means you pass. Conglatulations! You have wone the gam!"

His expression was hilariously deadpan.

"Do you act like this all the time?"

"More or less."

David snorted.

"When you meet God and it turns out he's a huge let down. Dad would have-"

David paused for a moment.

"Dad would have been disappointed."

There was a brief silence. I let the memories of his past few days begin to sink in.

"I'll take you back."

"Hmm?"

"Once we're finished. I'll take you back to the exact point in time we left, with all the powers you've gained, and I'll let you help. I promise."

"And I trust you."

He looked over at me.

"Somehow, I trust you. It's mental, it really is. It's crazy that I've gained magic powers, learnt how to fight, learnt how to wield a gun and a sword and so on and so forth. But somehow, the weirdest thing about it is that I actually think you're sincere."

I stared at my feet.

"Author?"

"Well! Nice talk. To business, shall we?"

I waved my hand over a huge arc across the space above universes. A holographic map appeared.

"What your job here is is to go around befriending everyone. What'll happen is that I'll drop you in a universe, you make friends, you gain their trust so that when you tell them that you're trying to save the multiverse from destruction, they have a good reason to believe you."

He accepted all of this without question. Well, almost.

"So, which universe first?"

I grinned widely. It was a very unpleasant sight.

The map spun and zoomed into a bubble set near the centre of the cluster. David peered at the name of the universe, and very nearly squeed.

" _That_ is one of my favourite anime of all time."

"Ready? Let's go."

 **Save Game?**

❤ **Yes** **No**

 **Introduction - Complete**

 **Game Saved!**

 **A/N**

OK.

So, this is my second attempt at writing this, and I personally think it's a tiny bit better.

Welcome to A Love Letter to Everything Else.

This is my first story, so normal rules apply, please don't 'b meen', 'donut steel' and 'iff u dont lik than dunt reed!'

""Multiple exclamation marks," he went on, shaking his head, "are a sure sign of a diseased mind.""

Terry Pratchett, _Eric_

Look.

I know archetypes and what people think of fanfic writers, so to start off, can we all agree that it doesn't matter who I am, at least I'm not a stupid Caucasian fangirling 15 year old brat who can't use spell-check.

I know you've most likely just skipped this bit, after all, you are your own master (unless somehow you are not), but I'd like to take this time to try and, I suppose fix up the situation here. It's obvious that there's going to be screaming in the comments, there always is, but if possible, keep it down. Multi's having a hard time sleeping. I'm going to continue anyway, so nothing you say is going to change anything.

Well, probably.

Actually, just to see how many commenters actually read this thing, anyone who is reading, could you please end your comment with an '-aru.' I want to see every comment on this story end with an '-aru.'

Yes, it is quite possible that I've been watching way too much Gintama.

Am I being a little too self-aware? Yes.

Am I assuming too much by hoping someone actually reads this and understands my pain and sorrows even though no one cares? Yes.

Am I assuming too much by even saying that anyone will read this?

Probably.

Please excuse my ignorance of swordplay, I've spent my last year saturated with Japanese media, so I have no clue what I'm writing. I hope it's accurate, but no guarantee.

I'd like to note, the story presented in this chapter is a refined version of the previous draft, with some bits added for cohesion and resolving plot-holes. The first one was clunky and felt inadequate. Like I said, this one is a tiny bit better.

I mean, it still feels inadequate, but as Neil Gaiman says, "...a novel is always, at least for the author, a long piece of prose with something wrong with it."

That's from an introduction to American Gods, 2017 edition. It's talking about novels, but I feel it can be applied almost universally.

Also, hey, music! This is one of those optional things they have these days. Go find the song, and listen to it if you like, but remember these rules.

If there is a song, play it as you will.

If the song is between two spaces, play it in its entirety.

If it is directly preceding some text, play it while following the text until it no longer makes sense. Most pieces should play out to the full length or merely until the next song is demanded.

I must stress that this is an optional thing. The story itself is probably almost exactly the same.

Oh, and, you'll probably complain about the apocalypse being a little cheap thing that I used.

You're totally right, but it's there anyway.

For those thinking they know where this is going, no, I have not planned for them to be returning to this universe in this story. Go write your own.

That "every universe's magic is exactly the same kind of magic, just under different rules" is something strange and complicated, but I can't explain it simply here, so just bear with me. It'll probably make sense in the end.

Most things here are here on purpose. Complaining won't change that.

Also, yes, the Author is meant to be ambiguous.

That's it for now.

Ciao!

Word count: 6035


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